Plate frame



Feb. 19 1924.

PLA-1TB FRAME File@ Marchio. 1922 v v INVENToR Bywjfag/Mqf@ v ATTORNEYS Q Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

'narran s'rA'rEs e 1,483,874 @PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM n. nEY, OE NEWARK, NEW imasnr, assrGNoR ro UNrrEn scijA'rEs Ramon CORPORATION, A coRPoRAirroN OE DELAWARE;

PLATE FRAME.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLiAa/r H. DEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex, State of N ew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate Frames; and l do hereby declare the following to be a itull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to mali and use the same. y

rlhis invention relates tofdisplay devices and has reference particularly to such de.- vices as are employed in connection with the display oi house numbers. More specifically the invention `pertains to frames for displaying numberswhich are mounted on plates that have relatively high intrinsic value and are therefore liable to theft; an example of such a plate irs-one for use in displaying a house number consisting of a plate of glass with the number painted thereon in radiumluminous paint.

(.)ne objectl of the invention is to provide a frame tor holding such number plates which is of simple construction and there,- tore inexpensive ,to manufacture, which may be easily attached to the `wall of a houseor a door post and which is so con-` structed as to minimize the liability of theft. i

In accordance with the present invention, these objects are attained by the production ot a frame for receiving and holding number plates formed from sheet metal and so constructed as to hold one or more plates and form a border around each plate. The trame is so constructed as to permit of inserting the number plates edgewise at one ot the lateral edges of the trame, the plate or several plates as the case may be, being moved edgewise into the frame until they reach their iinal positions. The trame is so constructed that the plates may be inserted into it only `at one of the lateral edges and at this edge there is an integral lange on the frame which snaps over the edge of the plate or plates so as to prevent 1 withdrawal.

curing means so located thatthey arevreadily accessible while mounting theiramein position but are covered and wholly concealed by the plate which is mounted within the frame. "Thus, the securing means is made accessibleonly by thev removal of the` plate and removaly of the plate is prevented by the flange atthe edge of the 'frame which coacts with the edge of the plate.

l,The preferred embodiment of the invenr tion is illustrated iny the accompanying eis drawings, in which Fig.l l `is a perspectivek l piece Ot sheet metal which is cut out to The frame is" of" rectangular iorm and it 1s made 'from a e form one or more openings and arectani gular border around each of the openings. The metal of the frame is' bent baclrwardly tromeach or the several trame members to form the edge members of the frame and at all of the edges except one of the lateral edges these rearwardly bent portions extend back to the plane of the back of the frame. At one edge the Harige extends only part way back so as to permit of the introduction of the number plates under the flange thus provided.

Referring to the drawings, the frame itself is shown at 6 as being of rectangular form and` adapted to receive two number plates 7. The metal from which the frame is formed is bent backwardly as indicated at 8 to form 'flanges extending back to the plane of the rear surface of the frame, except that at one ofy the lateral edges, the flange 9 is a narrow one extending back only a short distance as is indicated in Fig. 5. The flanges at'the top and bottomyedges oi' the' frame are extended by flanges lO which are bent toward eachother in the general plane of the frame and each of these flanges 10 is provided with yopenings .l1 to receive securing screws, theopenings being countersunk so that` the screw heads will lie within the openings in the flanges.

With the frame so constructed securing it upon its support is readily effected by inserting screws l2 through the openings 1,1 and screwing them into the supporty until their heads lie wholly within the openings ll. Then one of the number plates 'Tis introduced into the frame at the edge of the flange 9 and moved along edgewise. In'a frame for holding two or more members this first number plate is moved along under the intermediate bars 13 olil the frame until itsv movement is arrested by the flange 8 at the opposite edge of the frame. Another orfother number plates arethen introduced and moved along and as the last one is moved lin a `position within the frame7 the flange. 9 at the lateral edge of the frame snaps over the edge of the plate and holds it against; withdrawal. Thus, all of the securing screws l2 lieunder the plates and are inaccessible for removal otherwise than by first removing the plates,` but the plates cannot be withdrawn as the end one of the plates is held v.by the flange 9` and obstructs .movement of all of the other plates. The

' end lat-e ma `readil be inserted under the p .Y .V

flangeflbeoause ofthe elasticity of the metal and when it reaches its fina-l position this elasticity causes the flange 9 to ,spring over the edge of the plate. But withdrawal of the plate is diliicult as `force to move the plate laterally can only be applied to it by pressing upon its surface and the flange 9 serves to prevent any movement of the plate due to, force applied inA this manner.

glass plates '7 are provided with numeralsor other characters to be displayed, thesefeharacters being secured to or mounted ,in the back face of the plates in any convenient manner. The back face of the plates is then covered with a protective sheet or cloth 14, or other like material.

I claim:-

y l. A frame having a pair of' apertures therein defined by side and end walls and by an intermediate bar, the side walls of the frame being rearwardly and inwardly bent to for-In a slot and the inward extensions aording means to attach the frame to a support, said attaching means being so positioned as to be operable through the apertures when the slot is empty, and a pair of plates insertible in the slot and having their abutting edges concealed by the intermediate bar, such plates serving to conceal the attaehing means.

2. A frame having a pair ol' apertures therein defined by side and end walls and by :in intermediate bar, the side walls of the frame being rearwardly and inwardly bent to form a slot, a pair of plates insertible Y in the slot and having their abutting edges concealed by the intermediate bar, and iianges extending from each end wall and bearing against the ends of the plates to hold said plates with their abutting edges concealed.

3. A frame having a pair of apertures therein defined by side and end walls and by an intermediate bar, flanges extending from said frame to form a slot, a pair of plates insertible in the slot and having their abutting edges concealed by the intermediate bari andfflanges extending from said frame to bear against the ends oli' said plates to hold them in said slot.

In testimony whereof I'alfix my signature.

WILLIAM H. DEY. 

